“Behold, a King Shall Reign in Righteousness”

(Isaiah 32:1-2)

I. Introduction.
A. Review.
1. Jesus, as our Redeemer, was equipped with three offices.
2. So far, we have looked at two of them: that of prophet and priest.
3. He actually exercised each of these before He came, when He came and after He
left.
a. As a prophet, He proclaims the Gospel to us for our salvation: He preached
through the prophets, proclaimed the Gospel when He came, and continues to
speak today through His Word by His ministers and people.
b. As a priest, He laid down His life for us and prays for us: His atonement
made the earliest sacrifices and the priestly sacrifices able to remove sins by
faith; He laid down His life when He came and prayed for us, and even now
continues to pray for us before the Father.

B. This evening, we will look at how Jesus exercised His kingly office before His
incarnation, when He came, and now that He has returned to heaven.
1. First, we’ll see what a king is and what he is to do.
2. Second, we’ll see how Christ exercised His authority before He came.
3. Third, how He fulfilled His work as a King when He came.
4. And fourth, how He continues to fulfill it as He rules over all Creation for the
good of His church.

II. Sermon.
A. First, let’s consider what a king is and what he is appointed by God to do. Our text
tells us, “Behold, a king will reign righteously, and princes will rule justly. And
each will be like a refuge from the wind, and a shelter from the storm, like streams
of water in a dry country, like the shade of a huge rock in a parched land” (Isa.
32:1-2).
1. A king is someone who is given supreme authority by God over a nation,
country, or group of people.
a. It’s important that we see that a king’s authority comes from God, and that
when we submit to it, we are submitting to God.
b. Paul writes, “Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities.
For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are
established by God. Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the
ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation
upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for
evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good, and you
will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good.
But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for
nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the
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one who practices evil. Wherefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not

only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake” (Rom. 13:1-5).
c. In the US, we’re not used to kings, but to presidents. Presidents don’t have
supreme authority. They are answerable to certain checks and balances from
Congress and from the people.
d. This isn’t the case with kings.
e. However, God doesn’t tell us to submit only to kings, but to all governing
authorities: in government, church and home – the three spheres in which He
appoints authority.

2. But there is a limit on their authority.

a. Our text, in prophetic form, tells us what God wants those in authority to do
through the promise of what they will do.
b. “Behold, a king will reign righteously, and princes will rule justly” (v. 1).
(i) They are to lead the people in righteousness – what is right.
(ii) What is right in God’s eyes, not man’s, for He is the One who gives the
standard of what is right.
(iii) They must do right, lead the people in what is right and uphold justice,
again, according to God’s standard.
(iv) They are to praise those who do good and punish those who do evil.

c. But second, “And each will be like a refuge from the wind, and a shelter from
the storm, like streams of water in a dry country, like the shade of a huge
rock in a parched land” (v. 2).
(i) A refuge from the wind and shelter from the storm is Hebrew parallelism
and an image meaning protection: they are to protect the innocent from
those who would take advantage of them.
(ii) Streams of water in a dry country and the shade of a huge rock in a
parched land is the same for refreshment: they will refresh the people by
doing what is right and by providing for their needs.

d. This is the extent of their authority.

(i) God does not give them the right to rebel against Him, to make laws
contrary to His.
(ii) He does not give them the right to protect and promote evil and punish
those who do what is right.
(iii) To the extent that they tell us to do what is good, we are to submit to
them.
(iv) When they tell us to break God’s Law, or to call good evil and evil good,
we must not submit. We must obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29).
(v) Samuel Rutherford, in his book Lex Rex: Or the Law Is King, said that
when government becomes tyrannical, seeking to overthrow God’s
government, then we may lawfully revolt and overthrow it.
(vi) Is it any wonder that the government at that time wanted to put him on
trial for treason and ordered his books to be burned.
(vii) But Rutherford, according to the Scripture, was right.
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(viii) God gives authority to minister righteousness and justice, not to

overthrow it.

B. I think you can guess by now that all who were given authority in the OT church
were foreshadowing Christ and were ministering by His authority.
1. Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were all the heads of the church on
earth at that time, and as such pictured Jesus and His rule over His church.
2. After the patriarchs, there was Moses who actually foreshadowed all three of
Christ’s offices.
3. Then the judges, who were raised up to deliver Israel from their enemies and to
lead the people in righteousness.
4. Finally, the kings, first through Saul, who was more of the people’s idea of a
king than God’s – perhaps God’s punishment for sinfully asking for a king like
that of the nations.
5. Then David, who was a man after God’s own heart and the king He desired for
His people.
6. Then the other kings, some of whom were good, but most of which were bad.
7. Whatever they were like, they were given the same charge to lead the people in
righteousness, administer justice, and protect and provide for the people under
their care.
8. In doing this, they were foreshadowing Christ.
9. In some sense, all kings foreshadowed Christ’s office and work.

C. And of course, this is what Christ did when He came.

1. He is the fulfillment of this prophecy, “Behold, a king will reign righteously,
and princes will rule justly. And each will be like a refuge from the wind, and a
shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry country, like the shade of a
huge rock in a parched land” (Isa. 32:1-2).
2. The KJV may have it more accurately, “And a man shall be as an hiding place
from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place,
as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land” (v. 2). This points to a more
particular fulfillment of this prophecy in Christ.
3. Our Lord Jesus was all of these things.
a. When He came, He spoke with authority, “And He came down to
Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And He was teaching them on the Sabbath; and
they were amazed at His teaching, for His message was with authority” (Luke
4:31-32).
b. He commanded the evil spirits, and they obeyed, “And there was a man in
the synagogue possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out
with a loud voice, ‘Ha! What do we have to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are – the Holy One of God!’
And Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be quiet and come out of him!’ And when
the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him without
doing him any harm. And amazement came upon them all, and they began
discussing with one another saying, ‘What is this message? For with
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authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out’”
(vv. 33-26).
c. He gathered His followers with authority.
(i) When He commanded them to come after Him, they left all they had and
did so. Matthew writes, “And walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two
brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a
net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, ‘Follow
Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ And they immediately left the
nets, and followed Him. And going on from there He saw two other
brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with
Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. And they
immediately left the boat and their father, and followed Him” (4:18-22).
(ii) He did so in the OT as well through the types and ordinances.

d. Jesus led them in the ways of God.

(i) For example Matthew writes, “And when He saw the multitudes, He went
up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.
And opening His mouth He began to teach them, saying. . . ” (5:1-2).
(ii) What follow is arguably the greatest sermon ever preached: the Sermon
on the Mount, which is rich in righteous instruction.
(iii) He was a righteous King. His own meat and drink was to do the will of
His Father (John 4:34).
(iv) And He often refreshed the souls of His subjects with God’s truth and
with His Spirit.

e. Jesus provided food for His followers, such as when He fed the five thousand
(Matthew 14).
f. He protected His people from their enemies.
(i) When He was taken in the garden, He said, “‘I told you that I am He; if
therefore you seek Me, let these go their way,’ that the word might be
fulfilled which He spoke, ‘Of those whom Thou hast given Me I lost not
one’” (John 18:8-9).
(ii) And of course, He delivered the souls of His people from judgment when
He laid down His life for them.

D. Finally, Christ, in His exalted state, continues to do these things.

1. He has been exalted to the place of highest honor and authority.
a. Paul writes in Philippians 2, “And being found in appearance as a man, He
humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a
cross. Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the
name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should
bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that
every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father” (vv. 8-11).
b. All authority in heaven and earth has been entrusted to Him (Matt. 28:18).
c. He exercises this authority over all things to the good of His church.
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2. He continues to exercise that authority in the state, as He did before through

men appointed to this task.
a. They are still to rule according to His rule.
b. They are to lead in righteousness, administer justice, protect the innocent,
and provide for those under their care as a father does his children.
c. They are to protect the true religion, not false, and not intrude in the church’s
work.

3. He continues to exercise that authority in the church, through men called by

Him to that task.
a. He calls gifted men as elders.
b. They are to rule in His church by His Word and Spirit.
c. Through them, He continues to subdue our spiritual enemies.
d. Through them, He continues to call lost sinners to Himself.

4. And He exercises this rule in the family.

a. The husband is the head of his wife, as Christ of the church (Eph. 5:23).
b. Parents are the heads of their children, and children are to submit to them
(Col. 3:20).
c. Again, they are to do this according to Christ’s Word and not their own.

5. He exercises His rule more directly by intervening in the affairs of man.

6. And He will continue to rule until all of His enemies have been vanquished,
“For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last
enemy that will be abolished is death” (1 Cor. 15:25-26).

III. Application: Realizing that all authority is Christ’s rule, there are two things we
must do:
A. First, pray for those in authority.
1. Pray that Christ would reign through our leaders of state by ruling and guiding
us in righteousness, administering justice, protecting us from our enemies, and
providing for our needs.
2. Pray that Christ would reign through the leaders of His church by leading us in
His will, teaching us His ways, administering His justice as needed, providing
for our spiritual needs, and bringing in the lost.
3. Pray that He would reign in our families through husbands and parents in the
same way.
4. Pray that He would hasten the day He returns in glory.

B. Second, submit to those in authority.

1. That we would submit to Christ as He rules in government, church and family.
2. That we would only submit to Christ’s authority and not man’s. We must do
what is right in God’s eyes, not sinful man’s.
3. Christ is a good and righteous King. He has given us ever possible motive to
submit to Him. Let us do so by God’s grace. Amen.